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Defense bill includes funds for destroyers built at Bath Iron Works

BATH, Maine — The defense budget that received final congressional approval includes full funding sought by the Navy for destroyers to be built by Maine’s Bath Iron Works.

Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine said Wednesday that the budget includes $15.7 billion for the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke and DDG-1000 Zumwalt destroyer programs.

Included is $2.9 billion for two Arleigh Burke destroyers, one to be built in Bath, and the other by Northrop Grumman in Mississippi. Also included is $186.3 million for completion costs of the DDG-1000 program. Bath will build all three DDG-1000s destroyers in the production run.

Snowe says the budget indicates the “hardworking employees at Bath Iron Works are continuing to produce great ships that meet our nation’s naval needs.”